Too Sexy to Resist
by MeBeKiki
Summary: When Shadow 'accidentally' floods his apartment, he needs to find a temporary home. So naturally, he goes to his precious ally, Rouge the Bat. But will the Ultimate Lifeform be able to handle his best friend's crazy sexcapades, seductive charm, and bad thieving habits? {Shadow/Rouge, at long last.}
1. Prelude to Insanity

_Prelude to Insanity_

* * *

To say that he was slightly angry would be an understatement.

Shadow the Hedgehog was furious.

He looked around wordlessly, not even daring to step inside and risk ruining his precious shoes. His kitchen floor was covered in water. So were the soft, velvety carpets that led into his living room. Everything was soggy and ruined. All he had was a pair of socks and his sleek hover shoes.

 _Thank goodness I don't wear clothes…_ He thought to himself graciously. Still, he was fuming. It was unlike the black and red hedgehog to make such a foolish mistake. He looked back at the mongoose whose eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Erm… Mister Shadow, could you please tell me what happened?"

Shadow stared at him lividly, unintentionally scaring the poor guy.

* * *

 _Shadow poked the frozen meat, sighing impatiently. He remembered Vanilla, Cream's mother, advising Amy of one of the many ways to thaw out meat. One of them included filling the sink up with warm water and leaving the meat in there to soften. So Shadow did as the mature rabbit had said, gently placing the packaged flesh into the sink. As he waited for the water to fill up, he noticed that he got a phone call._

" _Commander?" He answered in his usual, monotone voice._

" _Two blocks down from Club Rouge, a gray hedgehog was spotted trying to kidnap a small fox. Witnesses say he's still in the area. You do have the most valuable powers that can be used to find this guy."_

 _Shadow raised an eyebrow._

" _If it's so close to Club Rouge, why didn't you call batgirl?"_

" _I did." He said with a sigh, "3 times. Her cell went straight to voicemail; I'd assume she doesn't have a signal… wherever she is."_

 _Shadow felt a surge of anger rush through him when he realized she was probably up on Angel Island taunting Knuckles… and maybe doing a little more than just that._

 _He shook his head of those vile thoughts._

" _Okay." He muttered, grabbing his infamous emerald and saying the two magic words…_

" _Chaos control!"_

* * *

"…And yeah. I kicked some ass, came home, and this is the end result." Shadow said.

The mongoose nodded slowly, jotting some stuff down on his clipboard. He looked up at Shadow, giving the Ultimate Lifeform a sheepish smile.

"Well, the good news is we can definitely clean this up, and even send in some of your valuables for repairs." He eased a little as he noticed Shadow beginning to relax, "Bad news is with damage like this, well… it's not gonna go away in the blink of an eye."

"What are you saying?" Shadow asked, his ears twitching and his expression concentrated.

"It's going to take us at least a week to fix this place up for you. You'll need to find a place to stay, perhaps a hotel? Or maybe with a friend…"

 _Rouge._

It was the first thought that came to mind. She was his treasured ally, and, if he were to be completely candid, his best friend. Besides, in a way, it was her fault that his house was flooded. Well… not really. But because she didn't pick up her phone to capture the creepy kidnapper, Shadow had to be the one to go get him. Basically, she owed him. Even if she didn't realize it.

He nodded, acknowledging and accepting the fact that he would need another place to stay.

"Okay," he said. "I know just where to go. But you guys better clean this up as quickly and efficiently as you can." He glared at the mongoose threateningly.

"Y-Yes sir!" He squeaked.

Shadow skated off before he could say anything else.

He finally made his way to Club Rouge. As soon as he saw the buildings, memories came back to him like a river breaking through a dam. Back before he shocked everyone with the news that he had, in fact, survived after saving the world alongside Sonic; this was the first place he came to. He would stay in Rouge's home nearly every night until finally, she gave him a key and they became unofficial 'roomies.' All good things had to come to an end, though. Eventually he decided that as much as he cared for his strong and beautiful ally, her lifestyle outside of work was a bit too jaunty and scandalous for his liking. So he found a place of his own after almost a year. The less he knew about her outside the world of professionalism, the better. Unfortunately the two were so close that they knew each other better than anyone else. Still, he was sure Rouge had a couple secrets that he didn't need to know about. He still had a key to Rouge's home, but didn't think it would be wise to use, as it had been a long time since he last did so.

He knocked on the door to her personal quarters, away from the loud music and crazy lights of the club.

A bit of shuffling could be heard from inside, but then slowly the door opened – just a little bit though. A head covered with luscious, white fur peeked out from inside.

"Well hello there handsome." Rouge said, giving her dark friend a seductive grin.


	2. Sex, Sex, and More Sex

_Sex, Sex, and More Sex_

* * *

"…Ally." He said simply, his red eyes peering into her teal ones.

"What brings you here?" She asked him, a somewhat nervous smile on her glossy lips.

"I need a place to stay." Shadow crossed his arms, slightly irritated by his friend's position behind the door. It looked like she was hiding something from him, like he came in at the wrong time.

"Oh! Couldn't handle life on your own, could you?" She taunted with a giggle.

He rolled his eyes, choosing not to respond. He simply glared at her, his frustration only heightening when she didn't even seem to be intimidated by it. Had they really grown this close? Shadow always looked at her dismissively and only wanted to focus on business whenever they were together. His off-standish nature had always befuddled her. Even if she was flirtatious and seductive, she knew her limits when it came to the Ultimate Lifeform. That ice-cold stare he gave her should have put her back in place. But she had a mischievous glint in her eyes that told him she was up to no good.

"Look, I do not know what your deal is, but if I can't stay here then you just need to –"

"Oh, hun you can stay here as long as you'd like!" She said, slightly distracted as she looked back at into her living room. Now he definitely knew something was up with her.

"Is there a problem?" He inquired, narrowing his eyes ever-so-slightly.

This time when Rouge saw the expression on his face she seemed to soften up just a little bit.

But only for a split second.

She immediately pulled herself together, just as Shadow was sure she would, she was too fearless and stubborn to do otherwise.

"No, there's no problem. Just give me one moment." Rouge said, closing her door gently. Shadow wasn't sure what was happening but it was evident that she wasn't the only one in her apartment, as he could hear the pitter patter of footsteps and hushed whispers. It was times like these he wished that he could have the ears of his beautiful ally so he could be able to make out what was being said. Whatever it was, the whispers became harsher and gradually… louder. Shadow's own ears twitched with concern. He wasn't sure what Rouge was saying, but she sounded upset. More than upset, and as her partner and 'friend' it was his duty to defend her at all times…

He burst into the apartment, a sinister look on his face.

But boy, did he regret making THAT decision.

In the center of the living room stood Rouge, wearing nothing but a black, lacy bra and matching underwear. Shadow's jaw dropped slightly, he stood there frozen in shock, allowing his eyes to drink in the image before him. Large, round breasts being held together by a tiny bra; a flat stomach with a hint of abs; long, toned legs that looked fantastic due to kickboxing; he had never seen her look so… alluring before.

But he snapped out of it the moment he remembered there was another 'guest' in the apartment. It was a gray hedgehog in nothing but his tighty whities. He immediately looked the other way.

"Rouge… I apologize, I did not mean to intrude in on –"

"It's okay handsome." She cut him off quickly, "I was just asking this… fine gentleman to leave. I didn't want you to see this." He could hear the embarrassment in her voice.

"Well, you heard her." Shadow said, his back still turned. "You may leave now."

"B-But…" the hedgehog protested.

Shadow wasn't sure what had happened between the two, and if it was good or bad, but that didn't stop the blistering wariness that was welling up in his chest.

" **Leave**." He said in a voice so deep that it startled even himself.

The hedgehog said nothing; all Shadow could hear were articles of clothing being gathered and the sound of a coward scampering out of the apartment.

"Thanks sweetie." Rouge said gratefully, "You can turn around now."

Shadow turned around, but Rouge was still in her undergarments. He immediately turned around again.

"Please, put on some more clothing."

There was a breathy sigh followed by an unenthusiastic 'okay.'

He turned around to catch a glimpse of Rouge walking into her bedroom. He got a good view of her wonderfully shaped posterior before the door behind it closed, and secretly loathed himself for enjoying it.

He took that moment to sit down on her couch and look around. Not much had changed; it was still pretty much the same apartment that he had lived in a few years back.

Rouge emerged from her room wearing a crop top and denim booty shorts.

Shadow sighed.

It was as though there had been no point in asking her to put on clothes, her body was still exposed in a provocative manner. Or maybe Shadow was just primitive, and held onto the modest styles that were prevalent when Maria and Gerald were still alive, way before he had been put into cryosleep.

But still.

He decided that if she thought this type of clothing was perfectly acceptable to wear in front of him, it was perfectly acceptable for him to look at her. Though he made sure to not let his eyes linger on her breasts… or her fantastic legs.

Boy, were they fantastic.

Since they were partners he was used to seeing her in her pink and black jumpsuit. While her upper area was a bit revealing, she always covered up her legs. He had never noticed how perfect they were, and seeing them now was oddly satisfying for him. He loved how taut they were. They were true beauties, strong and durable. Her kick was strong enough to rival Knuckles' punch, which was pretty impressive. She practically had super strength in her legs.

"So, what brings you here handsome?" She asked, sitting down on the couch.

"I flooded my apartment."

Her teal eyes flashed with concern.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah. You should be." Shadow said bitterly, crossing his arms.

She frowned, not expecting this response from Shadow. She was used to his cold and stoic attitude towards her, knowing that he looked at her purely as a partner and hardly as a friend. But the comment hurt nonetheless.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The mission was originally for _you._ But the Commander couldn't get a hold of you, so I had to step in."

"…Oh." Rouge bit her lip guiltily. "Well, I guess you staying here will be my way of making things up to you?"

"Precisely." He responded.

He felt a tinge of nervousness when she leaned forward with a lewd grin on her face.

"Of course there are _other_ ways of me making things up to you, are there not?"

He frowned, not liking her flirtatious attitude, especially after witnessing her kick another guy out of her apartment.

Scooting back, he gave her a glare to show he was not amused.

"No, there are not. And I don't appreciate you flirting with me when you have a boyfriend."

She almost choked.

" _Boyfriend_!? Honey, I do NOT have a boyfriend. Dating is out, flings are in. Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little flirtationship. Loosen up a little."

"Hmph." Shadow said, "Maybe you should tighten up a little."

Rouge decided to ignore this comment, standing up.

"Come on, Shadster. Let me show you where you'll be sleeping."

He stood up, following her into the guest room. He wasn't sure why she was showing him the way, it had been awhile since he lived at Rouge's place, but he still knew where everything was. He looked around, nodding in silent approval at the room. It still had his 'essence' inside. The walls were still gray, he was sure that Rouge would repaint them pink, and there was a framed picture of him, Rouge, and Omega. The sight of it sparked an odd sort of warmth in his heart. Omega and Rouge were the two beings that he truly cared for. They were his allies and friends, and even if he had a weird way of showing it, he felt obligated to protect them at all times.

But Omega was the 'ultimate robot' and Rouge was a fearless, skilled martial artist and treasure hunter. He knew they were more than capable of taking care of themselves.

"So… what do you think?" Rouge asked, turning to look at Shadow with an eager and expectant expression.

He simply shrugged, not too impressed.

"It looks the same."

"Yeah. I'm not the biggest fan of it, but I'm pretty sure you know that. The only reason I kept it this way is because…" She stopped, a blush forming on her pretty, peachy muzzle.

"Because what?" He inquired.

"Because it reminds me of you." She smiled abashedly, "I really miss having you around, you know. Seeing your grumpy little face whenever I come down for breakfast used to be the highlight of my day."

He could tell that even though there were seductive undertones to her comments, she was being genuine and friendly.

Too bad the socially awkward hedgehog had no idea how to respond. He simply stared at her for a couple of seconds before looking away and walking past her, sitting on the bed.

Rouge's ears drooped a little. She wished he wasn't so dense.

"Okay, well, I'll leave you alone then." She said, sighing.

* * *

 _That night…_

Shadow banged his head against his pillow three times. His teeth were grit and his blood was boiling. Rouge's bedroom was next door, and the sexy bat wasn't being discreet about her 'midnight activities' at all.

" _OH MY CHAOS!_ " She shrieked, causing him to flinch. He closed his eyes. All he wanted was to be able to sleep peacefully, but his ally was making that very difficult.

"Please… shut… up…" He whispered to himself dreadfully. He could hear the bed rocking and the pants and gasps and moans reverberating throughout the apartment.

" _Yes baby… Make me… Aah!_ " She squealed delightfully.

Shadow blushed. He had walked in on Rouge doing 'it' before, but this was the first time he had been able to _hear_ her in such close proximity. Because of his amnesia and the fact that he wasn't conceived by natural means, he wasn't too familiar with the concept of sex. All he really knew was that it was the way mortals reproduced. In fact, it had been Rouge's crazy (and rather sloppy) sex life that introduced him to the basics of it. He _was_ supposed to be an organic (superior, but organic) lifeform, or reminiscent of one at the least. He was capable of emotions, though he exhibited mainly negative ones. He had arms and legs. He was made of flesh. He had a penis (he turned crimson at the thought of this). But he wasn't even sure if it was possible for his sperm to bear children. It seemed like Rouge's reasons for having sex were purely centered around pleasure. It was clear that sex must have felt euphoric judging by her moans and screams.

While he was curious about how sex worked, at the moment it was keeping him from getting his much needed rest. He was tired, tired of tossing and turning and trying to fall asleep, and tired of hearing Rouge being pleasured by another man. But mainly the first one.

"That's it," he growled to himself, standing up and exiting his room.

He walked over to Rouge's room, banging on the door.

The scandalous activities going on in the room stopped immediately.

He opened the door, his eyes closed, and stepped into the room.

"I'm trying to get some sleep, and it would be a lot easier if you two would _SHUT UP_!" He snapped angrily.

"W-Woah! Are you Shadow the Hedgehog? Like, _THE_ Shadow?" A male voice asked, not even fazed by the fact that the Ultimate Lifeform practically yelled at the couple.

Shadow slowly allowed his eyes to open.

This time, Rouge's boy toy was a bat. He was concealed beneath Rouge's pink sheets, his arm slung around Rouge, who looked furious.

"Yes, I am. And I would appreciate it if you guys could either do this somewhere else, or stop." He glared at the bat.

Geez, what was wrong with this woman? How many guys did she go through in a week? Shadow didn't want to believe she was promiscuous, but all signs indicated otherwise.

"I'm sorry. We'll try to be quiet." He said embarrassedly, looking over at Rouge. She was sweaty, her wings spread out across the pillows. Her arms were crossed and she was pouting.

"Hmph." Shadow grunted, slamming the door shut.

For a few moments there was silence.

Beautiful, wonderful, blissful silence.

Then the moans started again.

This time they were louder and more intense than before.

Shadow waited, hoping they would quiet down once more.

But they didn't.

Shadow sighed, walking in once more and not even caring if he saw any 'parts' hanging out.

"Put your clothes on." He demanded, looking at the male bat who was flustered.

"G-Gah!" He said, pulling his boxers and pants on.

Before he even had the chance to grab his shirt, Shadow picked the bat up bridal style, and threw him out the window.

It would've been painless if the window had been open.

 _Oh, if only._

 **CRASH!**

The window shattered and the bat let out a blood curling scream as he plummeted towards the ground.

Rouge gasped, looking on in horror but not standing up since she was, well… naked.

"Shadow! What the hell!? He could be dead!" With the blanket wrapped around her body, she carefully stood up and looked out the window, looking down at the fallen bat fearfully. She let out a relieved sigh when he shakily stood up, limping away.

"Well, he didn't." Shadow said nonchalantly, turning to go back to his sleeping quarters.

"Oh no you don't," Rouge huffed, running after him as best she could with the blanket covering her 'essentials.'

"Shadow!" She hissed, following him into his room. "What the hell was that for!?"

"I got tired of listening to you two do your vile activities. Have a little class."

This comment struck a nerve with Rouge.

"Have a little class? How about you stop telling me what to do! This is still my apartment, you're just a guest!"

"And as a guest you should be showing me some hospitality."

"Was I not?"

"That is the second guy I've seen in your apartment today."

"So? Not my fault everyone wants a taste." She said defensively.

"So, you aren't being hospitable to me or the guys you fool around with, you're just acting like a slut!" He snapped.

But the moment he said it, he regretted it. The glare on his face reduced to his signature frown. Perhaps he had taken it too far?

Yep, the devastated look on her face was more than enough of an indication that he had taken it too far.

"Oh." She said coldly, in a tone that was filled with contempt. It was icy cold. Cold enough to rival his own tone.

"Rouge…" he said softly, suddenly feeling guilty for hurting his ally's feelings.

But she stormed out of the guest room and went back to her own.

He sighed.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone favoriting and following this story! I've looked at all of your guys' profiles (I know, I'm a creeper) and it pleases me to know there are still lots of Shadow/Rouge shippers. Shadouge was my very first Sonic the Hedgehog OTP, and it's a shame that I've only started writing about them now. To be honest, I simply adore Rouge. She is my ivory queen and I will ship her with** _ **anyone**_ **(granted you write them well and keep them fairly IC), but Shadow/Rouge was the first pairing I fell in love with. And thank you to the two who reviewed the first chapter. I hope more people find this story and enjoy it!**


	3. Partners in Crime

_Partners in Crime_

* * *

Rouge didn't talk to him at all the next morning. Shadow shrugged it off, deciding she was upset over his poor choice of words to describe the way she had been acting. But in all honesty, he had spoken the truth and didn't believe he deserved to be chastised for it. Sure, it was wrong and he knew that Rouge had been genuinely upset by his words, but he hoped that her anger would motivate her to turn a new leaf. It distressed Shadow to think of Rouge having sex or casual relationships with multiple men. He wasn't sure why exactly, but it did.

Wham!

A plate with waffles, eggs, and bacon was slammed onto the table, right in front of Shadow. He looked up at Rouge incredulously. He never expected her to make him breakfast, especially after what happened last night. Still, he was not one to turn down a hot meal. So he ate graciously. She sat down across from him and sipped her coffee quietly.

On the inside, Shadow felt guilty and wanted to apologize for his poor choice of words. But how would he make it up to her? He had never been exactly 'nice' to Rouge, he was always professional or protective of her… but hardly ever nice. Plus, he still believed his words to be true. Sure, they were harsh, but she was always flirting with multiple men and having casual relationships. What ever happened to courting someone?

Instead of saying anything, he simply ate his breakfast in silence. It was delicious, but he couldn't enjoy it with Rouge shooting him dirty looks. So he decided to break the silence, just this once.

"I shouldn't have used that language with you. It was inappropriate and hurtful."

Rouge's irritated expression changed to one of surprise. She hadn't expected that from Shadow. It wasn't the 'sorry' she was looking for, but she knew he had no intentions of apologizing for what he said. And if he did, he was too stubborn to actually do it. Rouge shook her head.

"Whatever." She said, twirling around tufts of the luscious white fur that covered her head.

He looked up at her, his bloody red eyes holding no emotion. It made Rouge feel frustrated. She could never understand what was going on in his head, no matter how hard she tried. Why was he so mysterious? She was without a doubt the closest person to him… that was alive at least. The only other exception was Omega, but he was a robot, not a person. Here she was, trying her best to be angry with him, but he sure made it difficult. She had to admit that she had a weakness for the black and red hedgehog. For so long she had been alone. For so long, it was just her on the streets, stealing jewels to survive. When she began doing work for the government and eventually met Shadow, she never expected to care for him so much. He uncovered the compassionate side to her that had been hidden from years of pure selfishness.

"I never took you as one to hold grudges." Shadow said after a few more minutes of silence.

This comment definitely offended Rouge.

"You called me a _slut_ less than 8 hours ago, and you expect me to be okay with it?" Rouge growled.

Shadow's eyes narrowed and he looked down at his food.

"I didn't call you a slut. I said you were acting like one. And it's true. Why does this anger you so much? Since when do you care about what anyone says about you?" It was an innocent question. Shadow truly was curious. He had seen the way men looked at her; he heard what other women said about her. He knew that with her advanced hearing she heard it too. But it never seemed to faze her. Rouge wasn't a weak soul. That was part of the reason he almost, kind of sort of actually enjoyed working with her as opposed to other agents. She was strong and didn't let trivial things like _words_ bother her.

"Because, Shadow. You are not just 'anyone.' You're my ally and partner. And… you're… my friend." She choked the last part out nervously, not knowing how he would respond or if he would even agree. "I don't care about what others say about me because they don't really know me. But to hear YOU say that word with me, I'm your partner and we should have respect for each other! You saying that just proved you're no better than all the other miserable dicks that judge me."

Shadow hadn't been sure that it was possible for him to feel even more guilt for what he said, but Rouge proved him wrong.

He finished up his breakfast in time to watch Rouge stand up, grab her purse and get ready to leave.

"Rouge, wait."

Rouge turned around and was startled by how fast Shadow had moved from the kitchen to the front door.

"I… apologize." He said slowly. Even though he was right in front of her, his eyes were downcast. He refused to look at her.

But he still had Rouge's full attention.

"I…" Rouge didn't know what to say. She didn't want to say anything if he refused to look at her though. "Shadow," she said softly, her soft fingers finding his cheek and forcing him to look at her.

His eyes widened at the contact, but he said nothing.

"I appreciate your apology, but I'm still angry with you. I know I brush it off, but those sorts of comments really do hurt me. I'm just a woman, living my life the way I want to."

"I didn't realize that it made you so upset. If I had known, I wouldn't have said it. I mean, I shouldn't have said it in the first place. I am better than everyone else who judges you Rouge. I'll never use that word with you again." He surprised himself with all these words, telling her what was deep within him, letting her know that he cared for her.

She couldn't help it, a smile made its way on her face. It was a genuine smile, not like the seductive or sly ones she had when she was flirting. It was nothing like the tiny smirk she had either. It was a happy smile, and the hedgehog's heart fluttered when he realized how beautiful she looked.

His cheeks flamed up when he realized her hand was still on his cheek.

"Thank you Shadow… I won't invite anymore guys over for sex while you're here. I promise." She said.

He still felt dissatisfied though. He knew it was none of his business what Rouge did in her spare time, but he was concerned that his friend took it too far with her sex life. Rouge saw this dissatisfaction, but chose not to comment on it because she knew it was difficult for Shadow to apologize to her. Though she had been so sure it would have taken a bit more to get it out of him… Maybe he cared about her more than he let on?

"You still haven't forgiven me." He said with a bit of impatience in his voice.

"Aw. Do you really want to make it up to me?" She batted her eyelashes.

Shadow's throat was suddenly dry. He knew she was getting flirtatious again, and even if he didn't want her angry with him, he didn't want her being flirty with him.

"I… suppose…"

"Then come with me." She grabbed his hand, pulling him out the door with her.

* * *

… _Why? How? WHY?_

The Ultimate Lifeform didn't want to believe it was true, but it was more than just true. He was wearing a ski mask, his crimson eyes darting from left to right making sure that no one was giving them suspicious looks.

Is this really all Rouge did when she wasn't on missions for G.U.N.? Have sex and steal jewelry?

"Who the hell steals jewels in broad daylight?" Shadow growled to himself. It was half past noon, and Shadow and Rouge were at one of the most popular jewelry stores in Station Square. He was on top of the roof while Rouge was in the back of the store that only employees had access to. She was snagging some of the new shipments. He monitored her progress on their communicators.

"Are you almost done?" Shadow asked impatiently, tapping his foot. He would never say it out loud, but he was nervous. Not just a little nervous, but incredibly nervous. He didn't underestimate Rouge's thieving skills one bit, but if they got caught then he knew there would be consequences. And not just the standard consequences for any random civilian who got caught in a thieving scandal. Shadow worried not just for himself, but for his beautiful bat friend. What would happen if G.U.N. caught her stealing?

"Shadow, I'm coming up through the vents. Do you still have all the screws?" Her sultry voice rang through the communicator.

"Yes, I have the screws. Please hurry up. I don't want to get caught."

At this, Rouge laughed.

"What? Afraid G.U.N. is going to fire their two best agents if they find out?" She asked tauntingly.

His shoulders slumped. Had she been caught before? This was the most time Shadow had spent with Rouge outside of work in years. Even when he lived with her he tried to remain as closed off as possible. Of course this was the only way she was going to forgive him for using the 's' word. For a moment Shadow felt angry that he had let a four-letter word push him to assist Rouge in one of her crimes. What was even more surprising was that no one seemed to notice a black, veiled hedgehog on the roof. His dark colors contrasted greatly with the bright blue sky. His thoughts were cut off however, when he heard Rouge tripping on her way up. She cursed.

Then, an alarm went off.

"Shit!" She cursed again.

Alarmed, Shadow looked down just in time to see Rouge shimmying her way up through the opening he had created in the roof. He couldn't help noting how the clothing she wore whenever she was stealing something clung to her fantastic, feminine body perfectly. Her face was completely concealed, only allowing her nose and pretty aqua eyes to be shown.

"Hello! Earth to Shadow!" She said, waving her hand in front of him frantically. Had they been under any other circumstances she would have blushed and teased him for 'checking her out.' But since she was covered up more than usual, she didn't think of his stares as endearing, simply him just staring into space.

"Oh…" He breathed, snapping back to reality. He went forward and covered up the entrance to the backroom of the jewelry store. His work was shoddy but he didn't care. He didn't have his Chaos Emerald with him; it was back at his watery apartment.

Police sirens wailed and Rouge gasped as she saw a bunch of officers surrounding the entrance to the jewelry store.

"Shadow, _hurry_." She growled.

He turned to glare at her.

"Don't rush me, bat." He said, finally placing the last screw. He turned around and his body was instantly pressed against Rouge's, who pulled him towards the edge of the roof.

"Rouge…" He said, inhaling the bat's fruity and alluring scent, a blush crawling onto his cheeks. He calmed down a little when he realized she was only holding onto him so they could fly away. Slowly but surely, his arms wrapped around her waist and she spread her wings, catching flight before the police looked on the rooftops.

He was still blushing. He couldn't help it. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, and what was even more bothersome to him than that disconcerting fact was that it felt nice. He looked at her, but for the first time it seemed that she was focused on 'business,' or whatever their main objective was, while _he_ was busy ogling over her. This wasn't the first time he held onto Rouge when she took flight. He was used to holding onto her strong, powerful legs, usually with Omega beneath him. To be this close to her, holding onto her feminine body that was covered by thick fabric, it gave him a rush of emotions… _Feral desire…_

"No," Shadow chastised himself.

"Hmm? You say something hun?" Rouge looked down at him. He could tell she was a bit more relaxed, just by looking at her eyes. He could feel her heartbeat, nice and steady. His was still beating rapidly. Why was this giving him such a rush? He was the Ultimate Lifeform, he had faced many foes in his lifetime. He almost teamed up with Black Doom to conquer the world. He witnessed the death of his best friend. What was happening here, that was so exhilarating?

 _Perhaps it isn't_ what _you're doing, but_ who _you're doing it with._

"No, I didn't say anything."

"Okay sweetie." She said, holding onto him and her bag of jewels as tightly as she could.

He decided to ignore her little nickname for him.

"Why would you steal jewels in the daytime? It's easier to do at night."

"Yeah, but I love a challenge. Wasn't that fun?" She asked, lowering when she reached Night Babylon and saw the alleyway of her club.

"No. What if you get arrested? I'm not bailing you out." Shadow said grumpily.

"Those are interesting words for someone who practically begged for my forgiveness."

"I did not beg." Shadow said stubbornly.

She descended gracefully, placing the dark hedgehog on his feet. He had been so accustomed to having his hands wrapped around her waist that he almost didn't want to let go.

"You came with me on one of my heists, that's a plea all in its own."

Not wanting to get into an argument with her over this, he simply shrugged.

"Whatever you say." He walked past her, taking off his ski mask and entering the club. Since it was a weekday and midday the club was pretty empty. There were only a couple of bartenders who didn't bother looking up to see who had entered the club.

Rouge entered a minute after he did, having taken off her thieving clothes as well. She was in her usual pink and black jumpsuit. He craned his head back slightly, catching a glimpse of the curvy female trailing behind him.

"All is forgiven now, right?" He asked, just to make sure. He didn't want Rouge pulling any funny business on him later.

"Of course, my dear." She gave him a grin, showing off her sharp fangs. "I guess this makes us partners in crime, doesn't it?"

They reached her personal quarters and Shadow turned to face her completely.

"…I guess it does."

"Would you like to do this with me again?" She asked, though there was a suggestive tone in her voice that he didn't like.

"Hmph. Don't push it." He said, moving aside so she could unlock the door.

"Okay. But I do have one more favor to ask of you…" She said, unlocking the door to her apartment.

"And what is that?" He asked, "If it's another heist –"

"Oh, no no no." She laughed, "I know I promised no more guys in my bed this week, but if you do happen to hear me getting it on with someone…" She paused, trying to stifle a laugh.

"What?" Shadow asked, tired of her beating around the bush.

"Wait till I reach my orgasm before you throw him out the window, okay?"

Shadow's jaw dropped and his cheeks turned even redder than before.

Rouge laughed, walking into her apartment, satisfied at her best friend's stunned reaction.

"R-Rouge!" He said, following her indignantly.


	4. Jealous (pt 1)

_Jealous (pt. 1)_

* * *

The Commander had called Team Dark in for an investigation of a crime scene on a moderately sunny afternoon. On the inside, Shadow's blood was boiling, but on the outside he knew he had to keep a stoic expression to not blow his cover. It was the jewelry store he had assisted Rouge in looting the other day. Some G.U.N. officers were talking to the employees of the store. They looked absolutely distraught and one had even broken down into tears. Usually, Shadow would just brush this off. He thought that showing such emotions were signs of weakness. But inside of him, there was nobility and an obligation to help people whenever he could. It _was_ what Maria would have wanted, after all. But those tears… Those tears that employee was shedding was partially because of him. He helped Rouge rob the jewelry store. He was partly responsible for causing that sadness. And it made him upset. He looked to his side at the ivory bat standing next to him. She looked just like he did, calm and collected. Her face was a mask… or was it? Did she feel as guilty as he did? Or did she feel nothing at all?

Feeling his red eyes on her, Rouge turned to look at him.

"What's going on in that big, handsome head of yours?" She asked sensuously.

He didn't respond for a moment, trying to read her expression. He could never tell with her. Right now, she was flirting. Shamelessly flirting. It was despicable; she always flirted no matter where they were. Whether they were on missions and had to save lives, or at G.U.N. headquarters doing paperwork, or even when they stopped for food in the middle of their missions… she was ALWAYS using her body and charms to get some sort of reward. But what reward was there here? Did she do it simply to get a rise out of him?

"Do you care about anyone besides yourself?" He hissed, feeling angry all of a sudden. He wished he never apologized for implying that she was a slut; he wished he had never helped her rob the store. It simply wasn't worth it.

She frowned, not liking his attitude.

"Whoa there hedgehog." She said.

"Don't call me that." He said.

"Why are you so angry all of a sudden? I asked you an innocent question." She said, batting her eyelashes.

"I asked _you_ an innocent question, so answer it." He demanded.

Rouge sighed. She knew exactly what this was about. Shadow had let his eyes linger on the frail female that was being interrogated by the G.U.N. officers. He felt guilty about it. But she didn't. After years of thieving she began to realize that she didn't care much for how her 'victims' felt towards her crimes. Her father had told her when she was younger that it was a 'dog eat dog' world. You either eat or get eaten. And Rouge's goal was to be at the top of the food chain.

"I care about jewels." She said.

"Hmph." He said, crossing his arms. He should have known she would say that. It was foolish of him to believe, even for a fleeting moment that there was perhaps more to the bat than just jewelry. Sure, she acted nice to most people, but that was mainly to get something she wanted.

He noticed Omega right at the front of the entrance to the store. It had been a few weeks since he'd seen his robotic friend, so he was eager to greet him. He was always more fond of Omega than Rouge, if truth be told. He felt like he could relate to Omega, since they were both _creations_ and were conceived by the Robotniks. He considered Omega to be his best 'robot' friend while Rouge simply held the title of 'best friend,' which was partially because he didn't feel the need to tolerate anyone else. Still, he cared for both of them and prioritized their safety over anyone else's.

"GREETINGS, SHADOW. ARE YOU READY FOR THE INVESTIGATION?" Omega greeted his dark ally amiably.

Shadow smirked, giving his friend a nod. He had missed hearing the robot's cold, metallic voice.

"Sure am. This should be an interesting case."

"PROBABLY NOT THAT INTERESTING. WE WILL MOST LIKELY FINISH WITH PLENTY OF TIME TO SPARE. AFTER ALL, I AM THE ULTIMATE ROBOT. THIS CASE WILL BE NO PROBLEM FOR ME."

Shadow rolled his eyes, his competitive spirit flaring up at the robot's thinly veiled challenge.

"Oh yeah? Well I'm the Ultimate Lifeform, and I'm pretty sure I'll find more clues than you will."

"IS THAT A CHALLENGE?" Omega asked, but he knew damn well that it was.

"It better not be," Rouge said, walking up to the hedgehog and robot. "Whoever looted this joint was very skilled. We probably won't find many clues." She winked at Shadow, who simply scoffed and turned the other way.

"HELLO ROUGE." Omega greeted his bat friend warmly... or as warmly as a robot could. Rouge smiled and stepped forward, her gloved fingers clasping onto one of Omega's metal claws.

"I've missed you Omega. How have you been? Has G.U.N. been wearing you out?"

"NEVER. ROBOTS ARE POWERFUL AND UNSTOPPABLE. I WOULD NEVER BE EXHAUSTED BY ONE OR TWO MISSIONS."

Shadow could hear the robot's head crane to face him.

"UNLIKE CERTAIN CREATURES."

Shadow immediately looked back at Omega, trying his best to keep Rouge out of his line of sight.

"Oh, it's on." He said.

Once they were given the 'okay,' by the officers, they entered the jewelry store.

Omega looked around carefully, inspecting every detail of the store. The front was, of course, just as it had been yesterday. Shadow and Rouge were well aware of this. Unfortunately the employees had been paranoid and fully convinced of the idea that the thief (or in this case, _thieves_ ) managed to snag a couple of jewels in the front of the store while their backs were turned, so Team Dark had to investigate everywhere.

Rouge said nothing to Shadow, simply pretending to look for clues as to what could have happened. The hedgehog stared at her for a moment. He was mainly focusing on her face. He had never seen anybody with a better poker face than Rouge. She looked like she was really intent on finding out who could have possibly robbed the place. She showed no remorse for making the employees cry, and she didn't even seem scared of the consequences. Any other person would have been quivering over the thought of getting caught. Sometimes Shadow couldn't help feeling confused by Rouge's actions. She was a spy for the government _and_ a dirty thief at the same time. He couldn't believe that he almost felt excitement for what he helped her do just the other day. She turned around, looking at a ruby necklace shielded with a glass display. Her back was facing him, so he could no longer stare at her. However, now he had a view of her perfect ass.

 _No._ He told himself adamantly, turning away. He wasn't going to stare. He couldn't help remembering the first day he came over to her house, when she kicked out that ridiculous hedgehog. He remembered seeing her body. He remembered seeing all her curves and studying her smooth tan skin. It looked so healthy and radiant, there wasn't a single flaw. No scars or bruises or blemishes. It was incredible. How could someone so skilled in martial arts and constantly fighting dangerous foes not have any bruises? Maybe she made a habit of hiding them well.

He allowed his eyes to give her one last look. His eyes mainly focused on her large, toned bottom. Other than Rouge, Shadow rarely ever enjoyed the company of women. At least, not since Maria died. When he worked alongside faker he had to deal with Amy, the annoying pink hedgehog. With Amy, her little rabbit friend Cream seemed to be a package deal as well. But out of all the females Shadow knew, Rouge was the most fascinating, alluring, and developed of them all. He couldn't help but gaze upon her beauty (and booty), even if he wasn't happy with her lies, selfishness, and deceit.

"SHADOW. WHY ARE YOU STARING AT ROUGE LIKE THAT?" Omega suddenly materialized beside the hedgehog, who jumped, startled by the robot's question.

The curvy bat's ears twitched and she turned around, her aqua eyes staring at Shadow. She was shocked.

"… Let's just get on with this." He muttered. "The main scene is in the back."

* * *

 _A few hours later…_

The sky was a beautiful shade of orange as the sun prepared to set, and a grumpy hedgehog, a smug bat, and an indifferent robot were entering the living room of a well-kempt apartment. After being humiliated by Omega for ogling over Rouge's body, Shadow decided to speed up the agonizingly slow process for the investigation. Like Rouge predicted, they didn't find many clues, considering she was wise enough to cover _all_ her tracks. Shadow wasn't sure what the next step would be for them. He tried to convince Rouge to confess that she stole the jewels, but she wouldn't budge. He remembered her making a remark about how G.U.N. would let them off easy since they were the top agents. Why would she be afraid to say something if that were truly the case? Not to mention, G.U.N. was well aware of Rouge's past crimes and her history as a 'treasure huntress.' Why would they allow her to case the scene with this knowledge in tow? He was surprised they didn't peg Rouge as a suspect.

He sighed, shaking his head. He was too embarrassed to even think of that at the moment. He was expecting Rouge to make a sly comment about what happened, but she kept quiet since she knew he wasn't happy with her. She didn't want to risk pushing his buttons any further, or making him say something else hurtful to her.

"YOUR DWELLING LOOKS LAVISH AS ALWAYS, ALLY." Omega commented, observing the bat's apartment.

"Thank you dear!" She grinned, fluffing up a pillow for Omega to sit on.

 _Why?_ Shadow thought to himself grumpily. He's a robot for crying out loud, he didn't need any pillow fluffing.

"IT WAS NOT A COMPLIMENT. THE MAJORITY OF FURNISHINGS IN HERE ARE UNNECESSARY. YOU HAVE PROBABLY WASTED MANY RINGS ON ITEMS YOU DO NOT EVEN NEED, SUCH AS THIS TV." He pointed his claws towards Rouge's flat screen.

"She's a thief. I'm pretty sure she didn't pay for the majority of items in here." Shadow remarked bitterly. He was feeling a bit sour towards both of his teammates at the moment.

"EVEN IF THAT IS THE CASE, WHY EXERT YOUR ENERGY ON SUCH USELESS TRINKETS? ROUGE, YOU ARE A BAT. BATS USUALLY LIVE IN CAVES, DO THEY NOT?"

Rouge, who had slipped out of her jumpsuit and was currently wearing a robe, stormed up to the robot indignantly.

" **Hey**!" She snapped, glaring. "Watch it robot! Like I'd ever live somewhere so unsanitary."

"I APOLOGIZE IF MY WORDS UPSET YOU ALLY, BUT I DO NOT SEE THE APPEAL IN LIVING SUCH A MATERIALISTIC LIFESTYLE."

"Yeah, of course you don't…" Rouge muttered. "If you don't mind, I need to fix my make up." She walked to her bedroom.

The robot stood up and followed her, his loud and emotionless voice echoing throughout the apartment.

"I ALSO DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU MUST PAINT YOUR FACE. THE INGREDIENTS THAT ARE COMBINED TO CREATE THOSE COSMETICS CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE HEALTH OF YOUR SKIN." Omega continued to criticize.

"Oh, shut up!" Rouge said angrily.

Shadow couldn't help the smirk that bloomed on his face. Even if he was upset with the both of them at the moment, they were still good for a source of entertainment. Shadow knew that Rouge disliked Omega's arrogance that he thrived off of as a robot. Omega had been programmed to believe that robots were superior to organic beings, and while Omega cared for Rouge and respected her as an ally, he often criticized her for her selfish and vain ways.

After several minutes, Rouge emerged. Her makeup had been redone to match her purple, backless cocktail dress. Shadow's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She looked stunning. Rouge noticed Shadow staring at her and decided she would tease him about it this time.

"Like what you see?" She asked tauntingly.

Shadow wasn't sure what surprised him more, her question or the fact that he almost said 'yes.'

"Why are you dressed like this!?" He asked angrily.

Did she… dress like this for him? It made no sense. She looked like she primped herself up to impress somebody. After all, why would she beautify herself if she was only going to lounge around at home for the rest of the night? With her teammates, nonetheless.

"I'm going on a date." She said, winking at him.

"A… date?" Shadow asked slowly, watching as she sauntered past him and put on a pair of stilettos.

"With?" He pressed on curiously. He wanted to know who his best friend was seeing and why she looked like an expensive prostitute.

"A guy."

Shadow frowned. She wasn't being specific at all, and he knew that she did it to annoy him.

"Do I know him?" Shadow pressed on, curious as to where his sexy friend was going.

"Kinda." She drawled, a childish tone evident in her voice.

Shadow knew she wasn't going to tell him outright who it was, so he was stuck with guessing. Who would Rouge be seeing? She promised she wasn't going to sleep with anymore men as long as he was here, so he wasn't worried about sex. However, a date was an intimate act between two beings. He couldn't help feeling bothered by it.

 _It better not be that stupid echidna…_ He thought to himself vicariously. He knew Rouge had an interest in Knuckles that went beyond his giant emerald. She often visited Angel Island to see him. He wondered if she even attempted to steal the emerald every time she dropped by.

But if it wasn't Knuckles, who was it? His brow furrowed as he went through all the males he and Rouge knew.

It couldn't be Sonic. Sure, she flirted with him from time to time but she didn't really show much interest in him. Plus, pinky would try to kill her. Emphasis on the word try. Knowing Rouge, she'd kick the hammer out of the annoying hedgehog's hands before she could even attempt to swing.

It couldn't be Tails. He knew Rouge would flirt with men that were a few years younger than her, but a ten year age difference was more than just 'a few years.'

It couldn't be Silver. He's from the goddamn _future_.

It couldn't be Espio, he…

…

Shadow's mind went blank for a moment. Team Dark had its fair share of battles with Team Chaotix, but he wasn't sure what Rouge thought of the purple chameleon specifically. He was a stealthy ninja, and she was a spy. They would be an interesting match.

Shadow shook his head. It couldn't be Espio. There wasn't a particular reason as to why, it just couldn't be him. Shadow felt his cheeks flaming up again. He didn't like the sensations he was feeling internally. He was getting worked up from the thought of Rouge with someone else and he didn't even know who she was with.

"Don't think too hard honey." Rouge said, breaking him out of his thoughts.

He simply glared at her.

"Don't call me honey. And why are you going on a date anyways?"

Her eyes softened up a bit.

"I'm going on a date because I thought about what you said. I'm thinking… maybe I should try to find a boyfriend. Instead of just having casual sex with plenty of guys, I'll go on a date and try to establish a connection with someone. And then have _meaningful_ sex with him." Rouge winked at him, and he decided to pretend he never heard her say that part.

Shadow's glare dissipated instantly. He never thought his friend would do such a thing. He knew Rouge was free-spirited, so to hear that she would do something like that made him feel… Well, it made him feel…

Like an idiot.

Here he was, silently fuming over who she was going out with. And to think that it was because of _him_ that she was going out on a date. He wasn't sure why he was angry about it, but he was going to do everything he could to convince her not to go.

"I don't understand why you would invite Omega over to 'hang out' if you are just going to leave." He said.

"I invited him over so he could keep you company." Rouge said simply.

"I do not need company."

"I know that. But I also know that you two are close, closer than _we_ ever will be at least." She said this with a hint of envy in her voice. It made Shadow raise a questioning eyebrow.

"But –" Shadow protested, but there was a knock on the door.

This was it. He would finally see who his gorgeous best friend was going on a date with.

"Ooh! That's him!" She squealed excitedly, strutting to the door and opening it.

In the doorway was the male bat Shadow had thrown out the window a few nights before. The bat was bandaged in a few places, but other than that he looked pretty much the same. Shadow's jaw dropped and he gawked at the hormone infused creature that was staring at Rouge, hypnotized by her beauty.

"B… Bat!" Shadow said, unable to say anything else. He didn't even know the guy's name.

Rouge quirked an eyebrow at his reaction.

"Well Shadow, I decided to go with this handsome gentleman. Remember him?"

Shadow began to wonder if Rouge even knew his name. After all, she never said it. Even when they were having sex in her room.

 _Why was that_?

"You can't go out with him." Shadow said adamantly, crossing his arms.

"Why not?" Rouge asked, frowning. Her male friend frowned at him too.

"Because I don't believe he has good intentions." Shadow knew that the majority of men that were hypnotized by Rouge's charms only wanted one thing. And that was her body. As Rouge's partner Shadow had acknowledged (now more than ever before) how physically attractive she really was. But he still appreciated the aspects of her that made him like her as a partner. She was strong, independent, and determined. She doesn't let anyone or anything get in her way. She's known as a treasure huntress and can identify and tell the differences between many jewels. Most people weren't aware of how intelligent and cunning Rouge truly was. All they saw when they looked at her were her boobs. And it frustrated him to no end.

"Unfortunately you aren't the boss of me. I'm going, whether you like it or not. If I don't come home tonight, don't be alarmed."

"What? Why wouldn't you come home?" Shadow asked curiously.

"I promised you I wouldn't bring any guys here for sex. I never said anything about going to _their_ place." She gave him a sly smile.

Shadow's eyes widened.

"But… but you said…"

Rouge didn't bother waiting to see his reaction; she waltzed out the door with her overexcited boyfriend.

"…" Shadow turned wordlessly. He was angrier than ever before. But what could he do? It was Rouge's life, and she could do whatever she wanted to. He was simply a tenant in her apartment until his own got fixed up. Suddenly, he found himself wishing that his apartment would be repaired as fast as possible. He considered calling the mongoose that was in charge of the reparations. He didn't like the new feelings that were rising all of a sudden. It was out of character for him to act as stunned as he did when he saw Rouge's date.

"SHADOW. SOMETHING IS WRONG." Omega said, observing his friend's distress.

The gloomy hedgehog didn't respond, simply sitting down on Rouge's couch. It didn't help that it had the same sweet-scented perfume she always wore. He could picture Rouge with her friend kissing and caressing each other.

Shadow ran his fingers through his quills. He wasn't sure why he had this odd sensation.

"SHADOW." Omega's voice rang out again. "SHOULD WE BE WORRIED FOR OUR ALLY? DID SHE RUN OFF WITH AN EVIL MAN?"

"She can take care of herself." Shadow said.

"THEN WHY ARE YOU UPSET?"

"I'm not upset."

"MY SENSORS TELL ME YOU ARE LYING."

Shadow turned to glare at the robot. He cared for Omega deeply, Omega was a very important person… er, robot to him. But the large piece of metal didn't realize how much mortification he inflicted upon the hedgehog.

"And what are you now? A lie detector!?"

"NO. BUT I HAVE BEEN YOUR PARTNER FOR MANY YEARS NOW, SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG. AND I KNOW YOU VERY WELL. JUDGING FROM YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSION, BODY LANGUAGE, AND SUDDEN FLUCTUATION IN BODY TEMPERATURE… YOU SEEM TO BE EXPERIENCING A SEVERE CASE OF JEALOUSY."

Shadow grit his teeth. Omega did NOT just use the 'j' word.

"I am not jealous!"

"YES YOU ARE SHADOW. I AM QUITE DISAPPOINTED IN YOU. YOU ARE THE ULTIMATE LIFEFORM. LIKE ME, YOU WERE CREATED BY A ROBOTNIK. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PERFECT. YOU SHOULD NOT LET YOUR MIND FOCUS ON SENSELESS EMOTIONS SUCH AS JEALOUSY. THIS IS WHY I AM SUPERIOR. I FEEL NOTHING FOR THE MEATBAG THAT ROUGE JUST WALKED OUT WITH. HE IS NOTHING TO ME BUT A…" Omega continued to rant, subtly putting down Shadow and pretty much every other living being on the planet that _wasn't_ a piece of machinery.

Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Look Omega. I do not wish to talk of this right now. I would like to enjoy TV."

"BUT WHAT ABOUT ROUGE? ARE YOU NOT WORRIED SHE WILL PARTAKE IN SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH THE BATTY MEATBAG?"

Shadow didn't respond to this.

"I AM GOING TO FOLLOW HER AND TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL." Omega said after a few moments of silence.

He headed towards the door, but Shadow zipped past him, blocking his way.

"Omega, you can't do that."

"WHY NOT? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WISH TO HIDE FROM ROUGE? SHE IS OUR ALLY. WE ARE A TEAM. WE DON'T KEEP SECRETS FROM EACH OTHER."

Shadow bit his lip at this comment. He and Rouge kept a secret from Omega by not telling him that they were behind the jewelry robbery. He felt guilty about it.

"Omega, if you're my ally… Do NOT follow Rouge."

"FINE. THEN WE WILL GO SEE HER TOGETHER AND YOU CAN TELL HER WHY SHE CANNOT HANG OUT WITH THE MEATBAG."

"No."

"DO YOU TRUST HIM THEN?" Omega prodded, still wanting to open the door.

Shadow shook his head. He wasn't going to be dishonest or fake about his feelings towards Rouge's friend. But in reality, he knew nothing of the male bat. There was no reason to dislike him if Shadow were to look past his attraction to Rouge. But for Shadow, that attraction was pretty much the only reason he needed.

"IF YOU DO NOT TRUST HIM, THEN I DON'T EITHER. WE MUST GO SAVE ROUGE BEFORE SHE GETS INTO BED WITH HIM. NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY, I AM GOING. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU." Omega forcefully shoved Shadow aside, carefully opening the door with his claws to make sure he didn't accidentally break it off. After all, it happened before.

"Omega…" Shadow said, though there was no anger in his voice.

The robot stopped walking, but he did not turn.

"Wait for me." Shadow said.


	5. Jealous (pt 2)

_Jealous (pt. 2)_

* * *

 _It's not your fault that they hover_  
 _I mean no disrespect_  
 _It's my right to be hellish_  
 _I still get jealous_

 _'Cause you're too sexy, beautiful_  
 _And everybody wants a taste_  
 _That's why (that's why)_  
 _I still get jealous_

* * *

Omega had activated the tracking device installed within him to get a signal and find out where Rouge and her 'date' were headed. Shadow skated beside his companion in silence. He was too embarrassed to say anything, he simply wanted to find Rouge and her new boyfriend, and… keep an eye on them. He didn't want to do anything too brash. He glanced at Omega cautiously. The robot paid no attention to him, focusing ahead and getting ready to direct Shadow to wherever they needed to go. Shadow knew that Omega's intentions were different from his. As a robot, Omega wasn't concerned with human emotions such as embarrassment, so he couldn't really understand why Shadow would be angry with what he said.

"Omega, we can't interrupt Rouge's date outright." Shadow said, looking at his metal companion when the thoughts of Omega telling Rouge everything Shadow felt and then some became too much.

"TURN LEFT." Omega said.

Shadow made a smooth turn, letting out a sigh.

"I do not want you to say anything. We'll find her and monitor her."

"WE MUST KEEP ON GOING STRAIGHT FOR 200 FEET."

"Omega. Respond to me."

"COMMANDS CONFIRMED. WE WILL STAY QUIET AND WITNESS HER COMMIT SEXUAL ACTS WITH THE –"

"NO!" Shadow bellowed, stopping for a moment.

Omega turned around, staring at the hedgehog. Shadow couldn't tell what the robot's expression was, but if he took a guess he would say that the robot was curious as to why Shadow stopped skating.

Shadow didn't want to hear it any longer. He had witnessed Rouge getting into bed with one too many guys and he didn't want to think about it. He heard all the disgusting things people said about his partner and even if those thoughts of her crossed his mind once or twice – he didn't want to think of them any longer. Especially now that he knew how much they hurt her.

"IS THERE A PROBLEM, ALLY?"

Shadow had to remind himself that Omega was only looking out for his wellbeing and Rouge's wellbeing. His acts, though brash and seemingly disastrous, were the closest things to compassion that Shadow would ever see from the robot.

"We won't watch her have… _sex_ …" Shadow said the word as if it were a vile poison.

"THEN WE WILL LEAVE?"

"Yes." Shadow growled.

"ARE WE GOING TO SPY ON HER?"

Shadow didn't reply to this. But Omega knew him well enough and didn't need a reply.

"WE MUST CONTINUE. THEY ARE CHANGING ROUTES."

Shadow's stomach lurched when he realized they were probably going to his house to… fornicate. Shadow and Omega continued to follow Rouge and her date to wherever they were going.

"Omega… when we get to their location we must be quiet." Shadow said, knowing that Omega's loud, metallic speech would be off putting. The whirs and clicks that the robot produced whenever he walked were just as rambunctious. The robot wasn't necessarily the ideal partner for spying. The ideal partner for spying would be someone agile and quiet, someone who was slender and graceful…

Someone like Rouge.

She was a skilled spy, so skilled that she had done work for the President. Her stealth skills were impeccable. She was diligent and keen, and with her advanced hearing she was able to hear frequencies that exceeded the hearing range of other species.

… _Why? Why must I be thinking like this? Out of all the times to feel this way…_

Shadow shook his head. He held Rouge to a certain respect that he wouldn't hold to anybody else. It didn't mean anything though. He was going to observe her spending quality time with a red-blooded male and pray that she wouldn't get into bed with him. That's it. That's all there was to it.

Omega and Shadow continued their trek down the streets of Station Square, eventually making their way to an apartment. They stopped, hiding behind a bush that was a good distance from the two bats. Omega craned his head around and there several whirs and clicks. Shadow, blushing furiously, turned to glare at the robot. He put a finger up to his lips, signaling for the robot to shush.

"I AM MERELY LOWERING THE VOLUME OF MY VOICE. ISN'T THIS MUCH MORE SUITABLE?" Omega asked, his voice indeed was much quieter.

Shadow said nothing, but he nodded.

They watched the two bats entering the apartment.

Omega dispensed a tiny piece of metal into Shadow's gloved hand.

"…" Shadow stared at it wordlessly.

"SHADOW. YOU MUST WALK INTO THE APARTMENT."

Shadow looked at Omega, an alarmed expression gracing his handsome features.

Omega continued, "I AM NOT SKILLED IN THE ART OF STEALTH. I ADMIT THIS. I AM THE POWER AND STRENGTH OF THE GROUP. YOU MUST GO IN BY YOURSELF. THAT DEVICE I JUST GAVE YOU WILL ALLOW ME TO HEAR EVERYTHING THAT OCCURS IN THE APARTMENT."

"Omega, I am **not** going to –"

"IF YOU CARE FOR ROUGE, YOU WILL GO."

Shadow sighed, looking forward. The apartment door was slightly creaked open. The damn bat hadn't even bothered closing it. And Rouge trusted this guy? What if some psycho broke into the house and murdered them? Geez, this guy was an idiot. Shadow skated forward, trying to remain as quiet as possible. He slid into the apartment with ease. He looked around, the place was small… but that only made it more intimate. He noticed his partner sitting on the couch in the living room, so he hid behind a plant.

Peeking his head out slightly, he observed the two bats.

The male whose name he still didn't know sat next to Rouge with two glasses of… well, Shadow wasn't sure what they were drinking but he could tell that they were probably alcoholic.

Rouge crossed her legs, exposing a bit more of her body as she did so. Shadow's fists clenched when he realized her dress was so short that he could see her skimpy underwear.

"I had an amazing time tonight." Rouge said with a sultry smile.

"So did I," her male friend said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer. "You wanna get frisky tonight?" He asked suggestively.

"Ooh, baby. You sure don't hesitate." Rouge said with a quirked eyebrow, taking a swig of her drink before she put it down.

She grinned as he leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss. Shadow closed his eyes, leaning back behind the plant. He didn't want to see this. This was already enough of an invasion of privacy, but seeing Rouge consent to some sleazeball running their hands all over her body… her chest, her legs, her curves… No. He didn't need this. All he could hear were smooching sounds and moans and groans. He hated it. How could she do this to him?

Did she not realize how much he cared for her?

… _Well, I guess I haven't always been the most expressive._

Shadow couldn't help wondering what life would be like if he wasn't as distant towards Rouge. What if he interacted with her a bit more, like she tried doing with him? Would things be different? The moaning and shuffling on the couch increased, and Shadow had the sudden urge to send a chaos spear towards the perverted bat's back. He peeked his head out again, forcing his bloody eyes to watch Rouge feverishly make out with her mystery boyfriend whose name was still unknown. Her boy toy slowly pulled away from her lips, brushing his nose against her skin and planting warm kisses along her neck, his destination being her lovely bosom of course. Shadow's cheeks became rosy as he watched her squirm in delight.

"Oh…" She gasped dreamily, "S-Shadow…" She moaned.

Shadow's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Did Rouge just… whisper his name? Was she thinking of him while she was kissing another man? Did she have feelings for him now?

Immediately, the bat pulled away. Rouge's eyes opened and she looked a bit disappointed that her companion had stopped kissing her.

"What?" He asked.

Rouge stared at him blankly.

"What?" She replied a bit dumbly.

"I was kissing you, and you said 'Shadow.'"

Rouge's cheeks turned pink.

"What? No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"I didn't!" Rouge said indignantly.

"Rouge, do you have feelings for him?"

"No, not at all!"

Shadow's heart was pounding so hard he was worried it would burst out of his ribcage.

"Josh, wait!" Rouge said desperately when the bat stood up.

 _Aha! So THAT'S his name!_ Shadow thought to himself victoriously, but panic flushed through his body when he realized Josh was heading towards the entrance to his apartment. He was going to see the Ultimate Lifeform hiding behind his plant.

Fortunately Rouge had stopped him and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Please, I don't know what I was saying. I didn't mean to say his name."

"Then why did you?" Josh asked, frowning at her.

"I was caught up in the moment, I guess? People say stupid shit when they're in heat. I want you, not Shadow. If I wanted Shadow, I'd be with him right now."

"Oh please. That hedgehog doesn't care for anybody. I bet you're here with me because you know that you can't have him."

 _You don't know that._ Shadow thought to himself. He didn't like the way Josh was talking to his friend. Regardless of the fact that Shadow harbored absolutely NO feelings towards his sexy, intelligent, tough, and strong-willed best friend – it was _preposterous_ to even _imply_ such a thing – she still deserved to be respected and cared after.

The two continued to argue and Shadow decided it would be a good time to escape while they didn't notice. He slipped out the door as quietly as possible, hoping that it was enough to ensure Rouge wouldn't have any suspicions that anyone was ever there.

* * *

Omega and Shadow parted ways once they were a good distance from Josh's apartment. Omega went back to his base and Shadow went to Rouge's apartment. He decided he would stay inside of his room so that he wouldn't have to worry about his bat friend pestering him. He reclined, enveloping himself within the sheets of the guest bed, 'his' bed. His eyes drifted shut, but he couldn't get the image of an aroused Rouge whispering his name out of his head. Her voice was husky and sexy. It sounded like honey coming from her lips. She had never said his name that way before, and it made his insides warm.

He heard a jingling of keys, the unlocking of the door, and a frustrated bat stomping into the apartment, and kicking her expensive heels off of her feet.

"Shadow!" She called.

He didn't respond, simply burying himself further into the sheets and steadying his breathing. He hoped that she would believe he was asleep.

"Shadow," she repeated softly.

 _Please stop saying my name…_ He thought desperately. He couldn't think of her the same way after what he had witnessed tonight. And he didn't like the sensations running through him whenever his name slipped past her lips.

He heard the door to his room crack open, and he couldn't help opening his eyes. He noticed the contemplative expression on her face.

"Ally." He said.

Rouge grabbed a chair, sitting across from the bed. Her legs were crossed and Shadow felt his chest tighten as he caught another glimpse of her underwear.

She wasted no time in calling him out.

"Why did you do it?" She asked.

Shadow blinked a few times, but his poker face did not waver.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes you do!" Rouge said, becoming accusatory all of a sudden.

"No. I do not. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to sleep." Shadow turned so he wasn't facing her any longer, and closed his eyes.

"Omega told me." She said.

Shadow clenched his fists, which were concealed underneath the blankets. _Damn it._

"He also told me that you were _jealous_."

Shadow began shifting farther away from the bat.

"Shadow, talk to me!"

Shadow didn't budge.

" _Shadow_!" Rouge wailed.

He felt a weight on the bed and knew that she was standing on it. The scent of her sweet perfume invaded his nostrils.

"Shadow, I am so damn tired of being treated like this by you. You've given me the cold shoulder ever since we met. I've always been there for you. You're staying at my apartment right now because you need a place to stay! I think I deserve to be treated better than this. Just talk to me okay?"

Shadow sighed. His body didn't shift but he decided to respond to her. She could never know how much she truly meant to him, because he was sure that the moment he expressed even an inkling of affection or care towards her that went beyond the scope of callousness he expressed to everyone else, she would be taken away from him. It happened with Maria, and he didn't want it to happen again.

"Why did you say my name?" He asked quietly, but he knew that with her advanced hearing she could hear him.

She was still standing on the bed, but slowly she positioned herself to sit down.

"You should know. Weren't you snooping on me?"

"Hmph." Shadow grunted.

"Shadow." Rouge prodded.

"Stop."

"Stop what?" She asked.

"Stop saying my name. It… it sounds weird now." Shadow grimaced.

"Fine." Rouge said, sighing hopelessly.

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence between the dark heroes.

"Look Sha… er… sweetheart. This week has been crazy so far. First, you throw Josh out the window – which you still have to help me fix by the way, then we rob a store, and then you spy on my date with Josh… What's next? Are you gonna set my club on fire?"

"Perhaps," Shadow said in his deep, monotone voice. Rouge wondered for a moment, if he was being serious or joking. She couldn't tell, but then again, when it came to the mysterious hedgehog she never really could. "And the robbery was _your_ idea."

Rouge sighed.

"That isn't the point. Shadow… were you jealous?"

"No. I just didn't want you getting in bed with him."

"And why is that?"

"Because I don't think you shouldn't be having sex with so many different men so often! Okay! Why? Why must you put yourself out like that?"

"It's my life –"

"That's a bullshit way to start your explanation, and you know it."

"Well maybe I like having sex."

"And I like shooting things but I pace myself. Look at faker, he's obsessed with chili dogs and it isn't healthy at all. He's gassy and I'm pretty sure all the cholesterol is slowing him down." He said this with deep satisfaction, thinking back to all the races they had recently in which he emerged victorious. He knew it was out of character for him to have all these words spill out of his mouth so rapidly, but he couldn't help it. He heard Rouge open her mouth to say something, but he spoke up before she could say another word.

"And I know you like sex, but you should pace yourself as well. You may catch something you can't cure."

The thought of Rouge contracting an STD made Shadow's stomach lurch. He didn't want to think of his partner having to deal with any funny business 'down there,' and if she did get an infection she wouldn't be able to work with him and Omega. The thought of his best friend catching something from all the filthy men she fooled around with was a thought he didn't need at the moment… Or ever.

"It's more than that." Rouge said. The tone in her voice made Shadow turn to look at her. His eyes slowly opened and he looked up at the ivory bat. She looked sad. From his peripheral vision he eyed her curves and shapely legs, but at heart he really just wanted to focus on her face. All her emotions were out for display. She looked at him, giving him a small smile. She was glad that he was looking at her. She felt like he was actually paying attention to her for once.

"Knucklehead told me that I'm not wife material."

Shadow straightened up almost immediately.

"What?" He asked.

 _What does that mean?_

Rouge laughed, though he knew she was anything BUT happy or amused.

"I… He…" She stumbled over her words, looking down. Shadow rarely saw this side of Rouge, the vulnerable side to his gorgeous friend. On the outside Rouge presented herself as this fearless and unstoppable treasure huntress, but deep down there was a scared and insecure girl who cared too much for the validation of others. He'd seen it a few times – but that was more than enough time for him to familiarize with it. "He said I'm not wife material. It pretty much means that everyone wants to be with me, but no one wants to _stay_ with me. Does that make sense?"

Shadow glared at her, though the dirty look was really directed towards Knuckles. It made perfect sense. Knuckles had told Rouge that she was only good for sex, and nothing else.

"No. Not at all." He said, crossing his arms. "Why would he say something like that?"

"He said it to me… after I told him I had a crush on him."

Shadow's eyes widened, but he immediately recovered his usual, gloomy expression. He was still frowning and could feel resentment towards the red echidna bubbling up inside of him.

He was well aware of Rouge's attraction towards the hotheaded guardian, hell, everyone was aware of it. He was sure at one point, that Knuckles felt the same way towards her. Why wouldn't he? Any male with eyes would be attracted to her. She's far too sexy to resist. But he never imagined that anyone, even that knucklebrain would say something so vile… And after she told him how she felt? After she spilled her heart out to him? It made the hedgehog want to stomp up to Angel Island and knock some sense into the echidna.

"What an asshole." Shadow said. "He isn't worth your time."

"I know." Rouge said cheekily, "I'm moving on to better things. Trust me honey." She winked at him, but he could tell she wasn't really happy.

 _Should I try to console her?_

"It will happen." Shadow said adamantly, like he was sure of himself.

"Hmm? What will happen?" she asked curiously.

"You will find someone who loves you." He said stiffly, not used to sappy talks such as these.

"That's sweet of you to say babe, but I really don't feel the need to settle down now or any time soon. I like being a free huntress and part time government spy. It's a lifestyle I don't want to let go of just yet." Rouge said. Shadow bit his tongue, part of him wanted to tell Rouge to cut it out with the pet names… but part of him liked it. Besides, he had gotten used to her little nicknames for him. It was better than having her call him by his first name, because it reminded him of her moment of passion with Josh.

"Anyways, I'm going to bed now. Tomorrow you need to help me board up my window though. I can't afford to get it fixed properly at the moment. Sound good?" She asked.

"Sounds awful." He replied, allowing his eyes to close once again.

Rouge chuckled, then did something he didn't expect. He sensed her body moving closer to his, and she leaned down allowing her soft lips to press against his ebony fur. His eyes shot open just as she pulled away from his forehead, where she left a chaste kiss.

"Goodnight _honey_." She emphasized the last part winking at him flirtatiously. His muzzle turned red as he noticed he had a perfect view of her ample cleavage.

She pulled away, taking her sweet, seductive perfumed scent and the warmth that radiated off of her body with her. She closed his door gently and the moment she did, Shadow reached into his fur where she had kissed him. He felt the residue of her lip gloss matted with in it and turned an even deeper shade of red.

 _Ally… what are you doing to me?_

* * *

 **A/N: I feel like there was slight Knuckles character bashing in this chapter. That makes me upset because I love Knuckles and Knuckles/Rouge. So please don't think that I'm a hater of Knuckles or anything, that little part with him was merely to further the connection between Shadow and Rouge. Oh, and please review guys! Favorites are nice but so are reviews! ;-;**


	6. Truth

_Truth_

* * *

Light slivered into Rouge's pastel-colored room, giving it a bright purple glow. Shadow stole a glance at his ivory companion, allowing his eyes to linger for a moment on how the fur that adorned her head seemed to glow and shine amongst the color. The two companions were covering up her broken window with wood, which she couldn't properly fix until she could accumulate the rings to get it repaired properly. Shadow didn't understand though. He thought that since she owned her own nightclub and worked for G.U.N. she would be able to afford fixing a measly window, in addition to having _other_ ways of obtaining money that weren't necessarily legal. But apparently that wasn't the case.

"You know handsome, we should do something after this." She said, brushing her hand on his shoulder.

The dark hedgehog turned to look at her again as she stood up and walked past him, her nightgown flowing gracefully while also sticking to her bountiful curves.

When she heard no response she turned around to see that he was staring at her… again.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to not form a proper response to it, but she didn't want to drive her precious hedgehog away. She smirked, grabbing a towel to pat her fur, which had been matted with a bit of sweat.

"I'd rather not." Shadow said, grabbing another slab of wood and adjusting it onto an exposed part of Rouge's window.

Rouge rolled her eyes. Sure, he could drool over her body all day but he wouldn't spend a little time with her. It's **always** business with that damn hedgehog. Surely she had to mean something to him if he was willing to throw a guy through a window, help her steal some jewelry, and then sabotage her date with the same guy he threw out the window.

"Why not?" She asked, not wanting to sound too whiny.

"Help me keep this board in place." He said, ignoring her question.

Rouge stuck her pretty, plump lips out, forming a rather cute pout. She trudged over to Shadow, intending to crouch next to him and help him adjust it, but then another idea occurred to her, and being the mischievous bat she was, of course she had to go through with it.

She got on her knees _behind_ the black hedgehog and reached forward for the board, her arms wrapping around his and her chest firmly pressed against his back.

"!" Shadow turned slightly to see his ally innocently looking up towards the wood, moving it while Shadow crouched there motionlessly, seemingly frozen by her sudden embrace. However, he soon caught on to her act when he noticed her bottom lip quiver, and realized she was trying to suppress a giggle. She was toying with him and she knew it.

He stood up, breaking out of her hug from behind, the action so quick it made her fly back and land on her back.

"Never mind," he said briskly, "It's good enough."

The board consequently fell off the windowsill and hit Rouge's left foot, causing the bat to cry out in pain. Usually the sound of distress would prompt Shadow to help her up immediately and do whatever he could to ease the pain, but at the moment he was less than thrilled with her at the moment, so he simply looked away and tried to ignore his altruistic impulses.

"Now we have to put it up again!" She complained, slowly easing her way up, letting out several grunts of pain while doing so.

"You can do it yourself."

"Excuse me? Are you forgetting who broke this window? You _owe_ me –"

"You may be cunning, but I won't fall into your guilt trip, batgirl. If all the times I saved you or put you out of harm's way cannot compensate for breaking a stupid window, then perhaps we should reevaluate the nature of our partnership."

Rouge stared at him for a moment, then looked down at her foot which was still aching.

"That's not fair. I've saved you too."

Shadow closed his ruby red eyes and in that moment he almost felt weak, because he knew it was true. He knew that she was upset with him for more than she was letting on, and that even if she was far from perfect, she was still his friend and deserved better treatment.

But he wasn't sure what kind of message he was sending her by allowing her to act so suave around him. It was only in her nature to act sexual, but Shadow wasn't interested in that. He was more interested in the Rouge that had confessed to enjoying his company when he lived her, he was more interested in the Rouge that had promised to stay by his side no matter what.

He wanted to _know_ her, underneath her 'mysterious, sexy jewel thief' façade.

But he sure as hell wasn't going to find out if she kept playing him like this.

"Hmph." He grunted, "That's irrelevant. I did my best to fix that stupid piece of wood. Now it's your turn."

Rouge gasped lightly, giggling all of a sudden. He arched an eye ridge at her sudden shift in behavior, his suspicion only heightening when that all-too-sly look came on her face.

"Something tells me you want me to work on _your_ wood instead…" She said.

However, Shadow being the oblivious – and at other times infuriatingly naïve – creature he was, had no idea what she was talking about.

"I don't have any wood."

She shook her head, a playful glint still evident in her eyes, though she was displeased with the hedgehog's obliviousness to her sexual innuendo.

"Are you not going to help me?"

"Go ask your boyfriend to help you, and stop flirting with me." Shadow snapped, both satisfied and guilty when he noticed her happy expression turn dismal.

"We broke up." She said bitterly, looking away.

"…You did?" Shadow asked this with a hint of surprise. He couldn't say he was displeased with this news, he wasn't personally fond of her boyfriend (or boy toy), but he did think that Rouge would at least try to maintain the relationship long enough to point out to him that she could take a relationship seriously.

"Correction: he dumped me." She confessed.

Shadow remained silent on this, deciding it would be best not to respond. He knew for a fact that Josh dumped her because of him. Having someone's face buried into the crook of your neck and whispering the name of somebody else doesn't make for very tantalizing foreplay. Still, something told him that even if she was still canoodling with that idiot, she would still flirt with him. She was what people of his time would call a coquette.

"I'm not surprised…" He said coldly.

Rouge flinched, clearly hurt by his words. She looked at him as though he were a lunatic, shocked to hear such insensitive words.

"You know what? You're full of shit." She said suddenly, feeling more than done with Shadow's attitude. She welcomed him into her house and he repaid her by breaking her window, giving her the cold shoulder, and insulting her. Well, Rouge doesn't put up with bullshit. Not even from the Ultimate Lifeform.

Unfortunately she was up against someone who matched up to her when it came to willpower and stubbornness.

So instead of being intimidated by such an exclamation, instead he replied:

"You know what? So are you."

And then he walked away.

* * *

Shadow liked quiet places.

As a bat, Rouge did too, for different reasons of course.

In solitude, away from all the cacophony of city life, it was easier to hear the sounds of nature. It was a personal quirk of Rouge's, to sit in silent areas and take a moment to listen to the sound of the wind, or the insects burrowing tunnels underneath the soil, or listening to other bats in the vicinity, being able to detect frequencies that went above the hearing range of other species.

Shadow liked the quiet because it gave him time to think. He often reminisced about his life on Space Colony ARK, growing up with his beloved Maria, and thinking back to what he had once expected of Earth and its people. He liked the quiet because it was peaceful. His life until late had been just about everything but peaceful. The silence reminded him of his days in outer space. He would talk to Maria, and sometimes, they would sit side by side amiably.

Rouge knew Shadow. She knew him very well. She knew that when he stormed out of her apartment he did it to clear his mind. But she was intent on finding him and talking some sense into him. She had gone to all the plausible places he would think of going to, and he was nowhere to be found. She decided to wait until later on that night to reprimand him for his behavior.

She flew back to Club Rouge, heading immediately towards the bar for a drink. She sipped limply at a margarita, the tangy yet sweet flavor overwhelmed her taste buds. She wanted more. She wanted to feel a buzz, maybe snag a cute Mobian onto the dancefloor and have a little fun. But more than that, she wanted to talk to Shadow. No matter how angry she got with him, he was still more important to her than any of her shallow desires.

She hated him for that.

She toyed around with the material on her pink jumpsuit for a moment, pondering over where Shadow could be hiding. Then she twirled around on the stool she had been sitting on ever so slightly and…

A black and red hedgehog was sitting in the seat next to her with a scowl on his face.

"So you noticed." He muttered disappointedly, his voice rather low and difficult to hear underneath the music blaring out from all sides of the club. He was lucky that Rouge had such good hearing; otherwise he would have found himself having to repeat everything he said at least ten times.

Rouge stood up wordlessly, an unspoken command for him to follow.

Shadow, usually not one to take orders, surprised her by standing up as well. He followed her up to one of the V.I.P. rooms of the club. It wasn't completely quiet, but they could have a decent conversation and hear each other perfectly well.

"I was looking for you. For a very long time." Rouge said, crossing her arms.

Shadow shrugged indifferently, not fully seeing what the big deal was.

"I didn't expect to find you here." She said once she was certain he wouldn't respond.

"That's why I came here." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know you're upset with me, but you can't keep doing this to me. I thought I made it clear last night that I was done putting up with the way you talk to me. We've been through so much together, so for you to act like there's nothing between us really hurts."

"The only thing between us is our partnership." Shadow said, but his heart was telling him that this wasn't true.

And Rouge was well aware of it too.

"No. There's more. I promised you…"

"I know you did. And that's your choice. I respect that. I appreciate that. But what you don't understand is –"

"What I don't understand? There's plenty that I don't understand Shadow. I don't understand why I treat you so kindly, and you brush it off. You act like I'm some no name, like I'm a nuisance.

Shadow growled.

"Rouge…"

"I don't understand why I need to yell and scream to get you to care!" She continued, cutting him off.

"Rouge." He said in an authority like tone, which caused her to shut her mouth for a moment.

"What?" She asked, waiting for him to say something.

"Stop putting words into my mouth. You don't know how I feel."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to put words into your mouth if you would just tell me how you feel. It's really difficult to work with you when all you do is sulk around and act all depressed all the time. I know you have a hard life, but that isn't an excuse to act like an asshole to everyone, and feel sorry for yourself –"

This definitely sparked rage in Shadow.

"Let's get one thing straight Rouge." In an instant he was right in her face, his muzzle inches away from hers. "I do **not** feel sorry for myself."

Rouge's heartbeat accelerated instantly, the usually suave huntress was feeling a bit uneasy being so close to the Ultimate Lifeform. But all too soon he realized how close he was to the ivory beauty as well, and his usual stoic demeanor was slowly starting to ebb away as well.

This time Rouge spoke softly, not daring to strain her voice any more than she already had.

"Then why… Why do you push me away?"

He didn't retract, staying close and peering into her eyes intensely, though he knew it would be wise to distance himself from her lest he lose his self-control.

"Because…" He whispered, his hot breath slapping her face.

"… I don't want to lose you."

Then he walked past her, brushing his shoulder across her arm, the mere action made her _shudder_ , and he walked out on her for the second time that day.


	7. Lost Resistance

_Lost Resistance_

* * *

Their 'lovely' week together was coming to an end.

Shadow was anticipating it, even _dreading_ it, constantly anticipating a phone call at any second. He was sure that his apartment was getting closer and closer to being finished, and he would be out of Rouge's apartment just as quickly as he had been in it. Sitting on the bed of the guest room that Rouge had kept the same _just for him,_ he thought of just what Rouge had come to mean to him, and what he meant to her. Surely she must care for him if she was willing to let him stay at her apartment despite how badly he had treated her. It was easy to point at Rouge and say that she was just a naughty girl who was fueled off her unearthly estrogen, but Shadow knew that it didn't do him any good. Rouge was unveiling emotions that Shadow wasn't sure he was even capable of, primal feelings that felt taboo, emotions he was sure needed to stay hidden…

Damn it.

No one, not even Maria could make him feel this way. He had loved Maria like a sister, but always fantasized about marrying someone a lot like her. He was sure that an innocent, sweet, pure soul would be the one to complement his dark, mysterious, and brooding personality. Maria had been the paragon of innocence, someone who always sought to see the good in people no matter how sinister they could actually be. Rouge was different. She wasn't necessarily the one who was suspicious of everyone, but rather, the one that everyone should be suspicious of. She's sneaky, conniving, feisty, sexual, the complete opposite of innocence that Shadow was so sure he longed for.

And he couldn't deny it anymore. He loved it.

He loved that he could break through the selfishness she had built up after years of nothing but lies and deceit to others. He loved that she cared about him in a way that she didn't care for anybody else. He loved her very being, her very essence, the fact that she would look to the face of adversity and fight with him against the world, even if it meant compromising what mattered most to her – herself.

And that's why he couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't keep being the cynical asshole that she thought he was – the cynical asshole everyone thought he was. But there was one thing he was going to do: he was going to stop pushing her away.

 _How do I go about doing this?_ He asked himself silently, standing up and walking briskly to the door. With Rouge, he found himself in situations he had never been put in before. This was the second time he found himself swallowing his pride and begging her for forgiveness. But Shadow was slowly finding out that maybe that wasn't a bad thing.

As soon as he opened the door, he froze. There stood the woman he was yearning for, clad in a t-shirt and sweatpants that actually covered her body without accentuating her curves, her face devoid of any cosmetics, her lips pursed nervously, and her own hand still outstretched, as though she had been reaching for the doorknob.

Shadow couldn't stop the word from slipping his lips.

"Beautiful…" He murmured to himself.

Rouge's right ear twitched and she cracked a small smile.

It was modest. Almost _innocent_. Perhaps she had been reading his thoughts?

For a moment, the pair simply stared at each other.

Finally, Rouge decided to say something.

"I don't want to lose you either."

Shadow sighed, scratching his quills as he stared at his beautiful best friend.

"You'll never 'lose' me, Rouge. I've been in existence long before you were conceived, and I will be here for a long time once you are gone."

"I think you're forgetting about when you and Sonic saved the world. For the longest time, I thought you were dead…" She looked misty for a moment. "Everyone thought you were dead. And do you know what happened? After all the press and news articles and apparent 'Shadow sightings,' … the world went back to its normal routine. Everyone went about their daily business as though nothing had ever happened. Sonic continued grubbing on his chili dogs, Knucklehead kept guarding his emerald, pinky kept chasing after Sonic... everybody was… okay. Or they looked okay."

Shadow's brow furrowed.

"Rouge –"

"But _I_ wasn't okay. I wasn't okay knowing that you saved a planet filled with people who hated you unconditionally, who refused to try to know you beyond the image of mystery you gave them. You don't deserve that."

Shadow stared at her, silently urging her to continue talking.

"And I… I just want you to know that I'm different. That I _want_ to know you, that I care about you and that I'm not afraid. And it's hard doing that because… Well, you know. I've yelled and screamed at you enough already." Rouge huffed, crossing her arms.

She stared at him longingly, observing his facial expression. Did he even realize how difficult it was to read him?

"So now I'm coming back to you as best I can. No make-up, no skimpy clothing, no flirting. Is this what it'll take to get you to communicate with me?"

Shadow sighed. He couldn't believe he was the one initiating this, but he walked forward, snaked his arms around Rouge's waist, and pulled her close to him.

Rouge gasped, not believing that Shadow would ever hug her, but gladly returned his embrace. Her arms wrapped snugly around his neck, and she let her head rest comfortably on the white tuft of fur on his chest.

"You didn't need to do any of that. I was going to talk to you regardless." He said, holding onto her as tightly and protectively as he could.

"Shadow…" She whispered his name so sweetly and lovingly, he hardly found any trace of 'awkwardness' in it as he pulled his head back slowly to get a glimpse of her tender gaze.

"Yes?" He asked, almost smiling at the look in her eyes.

Rich aquamarine gems that shone brilliantly with pent-up emotion and need.

And his carmine irises reflected her emotions for him perfectly.

"I love you," she half-whispered, pulling him towards her so that his forehead was against hers.

He nuzzled her luscious white fur, savoring her sweet, sweet scent.

All those other men that she slept with… they meant nothing to her, and he knew this to be true. Because he was the one she kept on coming back to, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon, not if he had anything to do with it.

"Good." He responded, sweeping her off of her feet and carrying her into his bedroom, placing her on the bed. She smirked at him as he crawled on next to her, because as soon as he did, his hands were on her body once more, pulling her close to him.

"I was going to apologize to you again. You were right. I acted like an asshole. You are my ally and I have a lot of respect for you, respect that I haven't done a stellar job of showing."

She smiled, draping a leg over his torso possessively.

"I hope that respect isn't all that you have for me, Shadow the Hedgehog. I've had my suspicions ever since Omega called you out for drooling over me at that crime scene, and of course, following me and Josh to his apartment…"

Shadow blushed, but he wasn't angry with Rouge anymore, and he certainly wasn't going to yell at her again.

"I… I have never experienced this particular emotion… Forgive me if I don't exactly know how to react to it."

Rouge sat up suddenly, looking down at him.

"So you're saying I'm the first lady you've ever had a crush on?" She couldn't stifle her giggle.

"Please don't milk this Rouge. This is already embarrassing enough for the both of us."

"Speak for yourself, hedgehog." Rouge said, pulling Shadow up so that they were facing each other. "I don't think there's anything humiliating in revealing your true emotions. I'm glad that we're finally saying something to each other. Working under the guise of professionalism was getting a bit old. I can't deny it anymore Shadow. I love you. I want you. I need you. Don't you feel the same way?"

Shadow stared at her resolutely. So many things could go wrong here. Was Shadow really willing to disregard his morals and the platonic respect he had garnered for his teammate for years? Here he was, at the peak of his sexual frustration with a beautiful woman that lusted for him, in his bedroom, with nobody to interrupt, no interferences, and no more hiding or fake emotions…

"God damn… Do you realize what you do to me?" He almost snarled at her.

She finally did it. She broke through his last barrier, and now there was no going back.

Without waiting for a proper response, Shadow grabbed Rouge by the hips again, pushed her onto the bed, and pressed his lips against hers.

* * *

 **The chapter after this one will be the last. Warning: expect lots of steamy Shadouge (because there's nothing better).**


	8. Finale

_Finale_

* * *

"Mmph!" Rouge let out a grunt, both shocked and satisfied with Shadow's response to her (somewhat) rhetorical question. Both of them were more than satiated with the others' reply, and one word was ringing through their heads simultaneously.

 _Finally._

Rouge wasn't sure how long she could've gone denying that this indeed was what she wanted. She had spent too many nights with other men while the face of a certain black and red hedgehog was etched in her mind. She didn't know how long Shadow had personally wanted this, but at the moment that didn't matter. The two of them expressing their feelings towards each other now, was all that mattered.

Rouge kissed him back fervently, wrapping both strong legs around his waist and pressing his hard, toned body firmly against her soft, supple one. It wasn't long before she parted her lips ever-so-slightly, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth and savor her honey-like taste.

He kissed her with such passion and unbridled urgency that she began to question if his previous derision towards her was ever authentic. If it weren't, then they _needed_ to make up for lost time. Shadow was a powerful yet sensitive creature. He was intelligent, but naïve. He was created long ago and had lived through a couple of historical time periods, but lacked the social experience that would allow him to fit into the normative society that ostracized him for being 'different.' There was no doubt that he was unfamiliar with the feelings Rouge had been able to rouse within him, there was no doubt that he had been coming to terms with those feelings as he continually hung out with her, and there was no doubt that they were both going to expose the sentiment they held for each other – inch by tantalizing inch.

Immediately she pushed him back, and Shadow's eyes flew open, a disappointed groan escaping his lips. She smirked at him, keeping her hand on his furred chest and lithely making her way on top of him. Then leaning in with her large chest squished against his, she kissed him slowly and tenderly, breaking past his defenses quickly with only a few swipes of her tongue. His hands found their way to her magnificent hips and he stroked them gently, the friction between his legs increasing as he relished in the pleasure of her breasts sliding down across his chest. Her lips were gone again, but before Shadow could open his eyes, they were on his neck.

"Rouge…" He growled, holding onto her tightly as she teased him with her tongue and nipped at his neck with her fangs. Slowly his gloves slipped off and his hands were reaching underneath her shirt, feeling the soft, warm skin beneath.

He nearly gasped.

It was too much to handle at once. Being in bed with the woman he had personally sworn to never engage with in any sort of suggestive manner was one thing, but now he was… _touching_ her. He was caressing her, losing himself in the feel of her body. It wasn't the first time he held onto Rouge. Occasionally he would pull her close to him when they needed to teleport to different places with the use of chaos control. But her body had always been covered by her jumpsuit, and he only grabbed her when his hands were clad in his gloves. Now he was feeling her bare skin for the first time, and it did him no favor in taming his feral desire.

Once Rouge finished her assault on his neck, making sure to leave a few love marks here and there, though they would easily be covered by his midnight-colored fur, she made her way up to his face again, giving him a peck on the lips and giggling when he finally grabbed onto the hem of her shirt, trying to pull it off.

She smacked his hand away.

"Wha…" Shadow frowned at her in disbelief. Did she not want this as much as he did?'

"Shadow, I believe I made you a promise."

The black hedgehog's mind was in a haze. He wasn't quite sure what she was talking about. Was she reminiscing? At a moment like _this_? He thought back to the moment they shared at Wave Ocean. The first moment he thought maybe she had felt more for him than she let on.

"To always remain by my side?" He asked dumbly.

"No, stupid. No sex." She said with an evil look in her eyes.

Shadow glared.

"Do you really want to do that to yourself?"

Rouge bit her lip, trying to stifle a laugh. It was most definitely in Shadow's nature to try to deflate someone else's ego once he bruised his own.

"And besides, I believe you said you wouldn't invite anymore guys over for sex. You didn't invite me over here for sex. _I_ carried _you_ into this room so we could talk."

"But I invited you to stay at my home with me." Rouge countered.

"No, I came here and asked if I could stay, and you said yes."

Now Rouge couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed heartily, sitting up on him and taking her shirt off quickly, before crumpling it up into a ball and catapulting it towards his face. She wanted him and he wanted her, and his persistence displayed that perfectly. He stared at her, admiring the upper half of her body that was exposed to him, with nothing left but a lacy bra holding together her large 'assets.'

"I was just joking, you know." He sat up, his scarlet orbs now holding a glint of sincerity. "We don't have to do this unless _you_ want to."

"Of course I want this…" Rouge said, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. "Are you trying to make me change my mind?" She teased again.

"That's it," he said, standing up with alarming speed and the next thing Rouge knew, her back was against the wall and Shadow was kissing her neck and leaving bites of his own.

"Oh, Shadow… yes." She moaned, stroking his quills and urging him to go lower, to do more. He smiled while his face was buried within the softness of her skin, making his way to the crevasse of her breasts and dragging his tongue across lightly.

"I don't want to wait any longer, Shadow." Rouge said, taking ragged breaths as they kissed and groped each other, holding on to one another as if the moment weren't meant to last. He pulled away from her chest, capturing her lips once more and running his hands up and down her back before finally unclasping her bra.

At that exact moment, Shadow's phone rang.

"Fuck," he growled against her lips, placing her feet on the ground and abandoning her momentarily. He looked at his cellphone. The number was unrecognizable. He considered rejecting the call, but knew that it could possibly cause some problems later on.

"What?" He snapped, answering it on the last ring.

"U-Um… M-Mister Shadow?" A frail voice on the other end squeaked.

Shadow looked back at Rouge, whose bra had 'conveniently' dropped onto the floor. His red eyes softened at the sight of her.

"Yeah?" He asked in a less menacing tone, exhaling deeply.

"I have great news, we finally finished cleaning your apartment!"

Shadow loosened up once he realized who it was. It was that fidgety mongoose that was at his apartment last week.

He continued talking, "We'll need to talk costs for the cleaning and repairs, but you can actually move back in right n –"

"I don't care." Shadow said.

And then he hung up.

* * *

 **Oops that was a really bad ending. But here you have it, the conclusion to TSTR. I can't believe I've been on this website for nearly five years and this is the first Shadow/Rouge story I have ever written. It's shameful. But no matter how many Knuxouge stories I write, just remember that I still love this pairing with all my heart. Thanks to everyone who read & enjoyed. I appreciate it. *virtual hugs to all of you* **


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